Novelty toy



March 28, 1933.

S. S. ADAMS NOVELTY TOY Filed Sept. 12 1952 301 61 0; Jam s,

Patented 7 Mar. 28, 1933 scam: s. ADAMS, F V-ASBUVRY rARK, NEwJEiisEY I,NovEL'rYmoY Application filed September 12,4932. Serial'No. 632,652.

This invention relates to a'novelty toy and more. particularly to aso-called jack-in-thebox type of container provided .withmeans tosimulate the rattle of .articles which the opening the container.

An object of this inventionis to provide a novelty toy container of thetype adapted to release an artificial snake or the like when opened withmeans for creating a sound efiect closely simulatingthatof real articlesbeing shaken around in the container soas togive the impression thatsuch containeractually contains those articles. i l

7 Another object of the invention=is:to;pro-

" vide the bottom of a can of the jack-in -thebox or snake type withmeans for-holding a plurality of pill-like elements adapted to'be shakenaround intherbottom of the can to create the impression that the canactually contains articles which it is represented *to contain.

I and adapted to be releasedupon the opening of the container, much tothe surprise of the persons opening this device for the first'time.

Other objects and features of this invention will more fully appear from:theffollowing detailed description ,takenin connection with theaccompanying drawingwhich illustrates a single embodiment thereof'and'inwhich Figure 1 is a side elevation of a novelty toy or can embodying thefeatures of this invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken through the device shown inFigure 1 and illustrating in dotted lines the position of thee'xpansibletoy snake when it is-released by the removal of the coverwhich is also shown removed in dotted lines in this figure.

Figure 3 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken on thelinelll lll ofFigure 2 looking downwardly and showing the construction of the falsebottom of the device. I

The novelty toy of myinvention is of the jack-in-th e-box or so-calledsnake type and embodies a container proper 10 having screwed on itsupper end a top or cap 11.

As best shownin Figure 2, there is disposed directly belowthe top ll anexpansible toy snake 12 of conventional construction and which is, inrealityymerely a'spiral spring enclosed in a suitable tubing of fabricor cloth.

As well known to those familiar with devices of this character, theexpa-nsible snake 12 1S normally compressed inthecontainer directlybelow the top 11 thereof. 'Upon'the release of the top llof thecontainer, it is forced away from the container as shown by its dottedlinepo'sition at 13 in Figure Qand the snake expands'a nd"projectsitself out of the container as indicated by the dotted position14: shown in Figure-2; I Needless to say, a 'person unaware of the 30contents of a device of this characteris given quite a surprise whenthe-snake is released by the unscrewing of the top 11 from thecontainer.

Now,in order to cause a device of this character to more closelysimulate a receptacle containing'a given-class of articles such, for

example, as mixed nuts, candies, or the like, I propose to provide thedevice with means whereby a sound efiect may be obtained close- 'lysimulating that which would be obtained if a container having'the actualarticles of confection therein was shaken by the person handling thesame. For example, if a container having disposed therein mixed nuts orthe like is shaken a rattle is created by reason of thenuts coming incontact with the wall of the container. 7

- I have-obtained excellent results'by providing the containerlO with afalse bottom 16 between which and the real bottom 16 of the containerthere is retained a plurality of pilllike elements 17 arranged to beshaken up and down and laterally between the false bottom 15 and thereal bottom 16 thereby giving a sound effect similar to that obtained byshaking a container with nuts or candy therein.

The false bottom 15 preferably is made of a square piece of sheet metalsuch, for example, as tin having its four corners bent diagonal- 1ydownward as indicated at 18 whereby the points 19 of such corners may bewedged into tight engagement of the interior surface of the wall of thecontainer 10. It will be evident from Figure 3 that this single piece ofmetal when permanently wedged in position not only is spaced from thebottom 16 of the container so as to have the pill-like elements 17movably disposed thereunder, but also serves to prevent the elementsfrom falling out of the bottom of the container when the container isturned up-side-down.

It will be noted from Figure 2 that the points 19 of the downwardly bentcorners 18 engage the interior surface of the container wall at thejunction of that surface with the inserted bottom 16 which may beanchored to the container wall by any suitable or conventional means.Attention is also directed to the fact that in the mounting of the falsebottom 15 in place in the container the four diagonally bent corners arepressed toward each other by the act of inserting the bottom piece inthe container so that these corners are in reality urged outwardlytoward the wall of the container by reason of their inherent resiliency,thereby augmenting the bite between the points of these corners 18 andthe interior surface of the container.

Upon a person being handed a device of this character and being told tohelp himself to the contents it invariably happens that he unconsciouslyshakes the device to see whether the sound ensuing therefrom indicatesthat the container does hold the articles it is represented to enclose.If no sounds ensue as a result of his shaking of the container and thecontainer appears to be quite light in weight he immediately becomesskeptical as to whether it does contain the articles it is representedto enclose. Thereafter, even if he does open the container he is apt todo so cautiously and as a result is not taken completely by surprise ashe would be if the container were provided with means for creating thenoise simulating that ensuing from the shaking of a container actuallyhaving articles therein.

Accordingly, when he handles a device embodying the features of thisinvention the rattle or noise ensuing therefrom gives him the impressionthat the container does hold articles of the type that it is representedto contain and he is momentarily taken off guard at the time when heopens the con tainer, and as a result the surprise effect secured ismuch greater than obtained with similar devices now on the market.

Of course, it is to be appreciated that while I have illustrated themeans for creating the rattle as being in the form of pill-likeelements, the invention is not to be thus limited since other suitablemeans can be used for that purpose without deviating from the scope andspirit of the present invention.

I claim as my invention 1. In a surprise toy, a toy snake or the likewhich is adapted to be released upon opening of the toy, means fordefining an enclosed space in the toy apart from said snake or the likeand a plurality of freely movable sound producing elements in theenclosed space for creatinga sound effect upon the shaking of the toyclosely simulating that which would be obtained if the toy actually heldthe contents which it is represented to enclose.

2. In a surprise toy, a toy snake or the like which is adapted to bereleased upon opening of the toy, means for defining an enclosed spacein the toy apart from said snake or the like and a plurality of elementsin the enclosed space for creating a sound effect upon the shaking ofthe toy closely simulating that which would be obtained if the toyactually held the contents which it is represented to enclose, saidfirst means being in the form of a false bottom for a container and saidsecond means being in the form of a plurality of sound-producing pelletsfreely movable under the false bottom.

3. In a toy of the class described including a container having abottom, means for definingan enclosed space in the container comprisinga false bottom for the container in the form of a metallic square havingfour corners bent downwardly and diagonally and resiliently forced intoengagement with the interior surface of the container, and means forcreating arattle in the container disposed below said false bottom.

4. In a surprise toy, a container from which an article such as anartificial snake or the like is projected upon the opening of thecontainer, a snake or the like in said container, means for defining anenclosed space in the container apart from said snake or-the like andmeans in said space adapted to create a rattle upon the shaking of thecontainer so as to give a predetermined sound effect, said latter meansincluding a plurality of soundproducing pellets freely movable in saidenclosed space to strike the wall of the container when the same isshaken.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name at Asbury Park,Monmouth County, New Jersey.

SOREN S. ADAMS.

